Monday, May 22, 2017

The Popularity of Crows

I don't know what I was searching for when I stumbled across this, but I suddenly found myself hip deep in crows.

I like crows for the most part. They are the most intelligent birds on this planet. While all the other birds have to work hard from sunup to sundown finding things to eat, crows can spend a good part of their day in play and strengthening their communities. Crows can make and use tools, you know. So... I like crows. But mostly at a distance. I think I have Alfred Hitchcock to blame for that. Who's watched the classic Hitchcock film The Birds and not looked out the window at the trees and the sky before going outside afterward?

It should be no surprise to anyone that "Murder of Crows" is quite popular as a title for a mystery, but I was surprised that it's also popular for anything from teen dystopian novels to fantasy to the occult.

These are a dozen covers of mysteries all titled A Murder of Crows. They certainly do differ in style, don't they? They range from historicals to spy thrillers to cozies, and everything in between. They also show a wide range of design, from the rather simplistic to the atmospheric. And not all of them actually show crows.My two favorites are the top two. The first one shows a crow holding a bullet cartridge in its beak, and we all know that crows are attracted to shiny things, don't we? Yes, I think this first cover has the most realistic-looking crow.

The cover next to it I like because it gives me chills. Crows and other birds are known (thank you, Mr. Hitchcock) to peck out the eyes of animals and humans alike. The second cover shows a crow with what looks to me like pecked-out eyes. Turnabout is very fair play, don't you think?

The other cover that I want to make particular note of is two up from the bottom on the left. Kate Ayers' A Murder of Crows: Mysteries With a Wine List. Why do I want to mention it? Because I'd swear that's not a crow. It looks like a starling to me. Picky, aren't I?Which crow covers catch your eye? Are there any that you like? Which ones? Are there any that offend your sensibilities? Let us know!Were you surprised to see how popular that title is? I know-- questions, questions! But inquiring minds would love to know!

You know what really freaks me out - when we come to an intersection and the power wires and stoplight rods are covered in birds - like dozens of them. I think that 'The Birds' traumatized all of us! As to the covers, I like bottom left cover - book by Heather Hamel. Like the look of that tree.

I think it was The Stand by Stephen King where as the people walked across the country, there would be a crow on a telephone pole watching them. I know after that while traveling I would see a crow on a fence post or a pole, it would creep me out. It was like evil was watching or following us. Typical Steven King-he makes you see harmless things differently.A lady in a flower group I belong to said that the crow was her favorite bird. That stayed with me because I had never heard someone say that before. When I worked, I would read at noontime in a park and the crows were there often. They were always in groups and appeared very social and happy.I am not sure how I really feel about crows but they are fascinating and fun to observe. My favorite cover is Tom Lowes. Book with titles or photos of crows do attract my attention.

I have a huge pine tree in the front yard, the top of which a family group of grackles used to nest in. I say "used to" because a crow started showing up regularly at just the right time of year to eat the grackles' eggs. It was a bigger bird and there was very little that the grackle parents could do. I don't blame them for moving, but I do miss them.

"I initially thought that crows have red eyes but further research says no, but a brown-headed blackbird does. I do think the Ayers bird is a starling.

I agree, the top two are the most striking. The one by Chisholm is interesting and the one by Duffy is too stylized (and a bit too much like James Bond). The Colasessano one was my favorite originally, but the more I looked at it, the placement of the word “of” separated the C from Rows. Using the definite article in the S. Done book is just wrong. The Hamel image is striking (I can’t tell, are there crows in that tree?) but why in heck do they shift the letters in the author’s name up and down?

The Tom Lowe is the best overall, on many levels: Good clean type layout, interesting juxtaposition of black letters for title and white for author, repeated in the intriguing backdrop, and the image of the crow (is that a mean glint in its eye or just curiosity?) grasping the shell casing is the topper. I don’t know the author, but I am intrigued as to what the book may be about. And in the end, isn’t that the purpose of all good covers?"

This is such a great post! Who knew?! The bird on the Ian Skewis book looks pretty scary with that eyeball! And how funny you are reading one about Magpies. Aren't they all related? I am plowing through Into the Water. As I am one of the few people who didn't read Girl on the Train, I'm not sure what to think. There's a lot of viewpoints so far! Have a great week!

I wondered if anyone would notice that I was reading Magpie Murders (before I moved on to the next book)! Yes, they are related, although I like magpies closeup, not just at a distance. Of course, I don't live around magpies. My British family seems not to like them.

I don't really have a preference. Crows aren't my thing, although I like other birds, including the little sparrows that hop up and down my block and tweet from the trees.

I have Alfred Hitchcock to thank for the bird phobia of an ex partner of mine. He'd see a group of pigeons on the sidewalk and have to cross the street. This stemmed from his memory of the birds attacking Tippi Hedren in that film.

When we went to Florida once to Busch Gardens, one area was for visitors to hold huge macaws. I held one on each arm and was fine. He was standing far away and taking pictures of me with the beautiful birds on my arms. And nobody got hurt!

I've been witness to huge flocks of birds (like Sandhill cranes) and had lorikeets perched on me from fingertip to fingertip and on my head and shoulders. For some Hitchcockian reason, it's the crows and gulls that I keep an eye on.

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Hi! I'm addicted to books (especially crime fiction), laughter and traveling off the beaten path. In my free time, when my eyes aren't glued to the printed page, one of them is usually pressed against the viewfinder of my camera. Let's see... books, laughter, travel, photography. Anything else? Oh yeah-- my dream house wouldn't have a kitchen!